Outside the City of Buckhannon, Upshur County requires a $15 county building permit from its Building Permit Officer for construction, renovation, site preparation and manufactured homes, and a separate floodplain permit for development in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Floodplain permits cost $75 for residential work, and Buckhannon issues its own building permits.
What needs a permit in Upshur County?
Upshur County has its own building permit. The Building Permit Ordinance requires a county permit before any site preparation, development, renovation, improvement, construction or relocation of a building or structure, manufactured housing included, anywhere in the county outside the City of Buckhannon. The ordinance does not adopt a building code: the permit gives the Assessor updated information and checks the work against floodplain and airport rules, and the owner remains responsible for meeting other codes.
County building permit ($15)
- New homes and other buildings
- Manufactured and prefabricated homes
- Additions, renovations and improvements
- Garages and other structures
- Site preparation and relocating a building
- Work under $250: permit still required, fee waived
County floodplain permit
- Any development in a Special Flood Hazard Area outside Buckhannon
- Residential work: $75
- Commercial work: $100 or 0.1% of cost
- Certificate of compliance before occupancy in the flood area
Inside Buckhannon, the county’s own form tells applicants to get the building permit from the City.
Who issues permits in Upshur County?
A single county office, Addressing & Mapping, Building Permits and Floodplain Management, issues building permits, floodplain permits and physical addresses for the unincorporated county. Terri Jo Bennett is the Upshur County Building Permit Officer. The job involves a lot of field work, so the county asks visitors to call ahead.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building permits, floodplain and addressing | Judge Jack Dowell Jennings Annex, 38 West Main Street, Room 303, Buckhannon, WV 26201; 304-472-1673; Permit Officer’s cell 304-678-8076, useful while the courthouse phone outage posted on the county site lasts |
| City of Buckhannon permits | City Hall, 70 E. Main Street, Buckhannon; 304-472-1651; Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Septic permits | Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department, 15 North Locust Street, Buckhannon; 304-472-2810 |
The only town: Buckhannon (5,054 residents) issues its own building and zoning permits through City Hall staff and its Building/Zoning Officer, has its own City Electrical Inspector, and manages floodplain permits inside city limits.
County forms and how to file
- Building Permit Application: $15, with a site plan, the estimated value of the finished project, the district, tax map and parcel, and the contractor’s details. Copies go to the County Commission, the Assessor and the applicant.
- Contractor Licensure Affidavit: for owners or others who are exempt from state contractor licensing, in place of a contractor’s licence.
- Floodplain Permit Application: for development in the Special Flood Hazard Area, with a site plan and construction specifications.
- Address forms: application for a physical address and proof of physical address, plus road naming petitions.
Completed forms can be mailed to the office or returned by email, and permits can be paid online or by card; the card processor charges $1.50 on payments up to $50, $3 up to $100 and $3 for each further $100.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Upshur County permit fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| County building permit | $15 |
| County building permit, completed cost under $250 | Permit required, fee waived |
| Floodplain permit, residential | $75, regardless of project cost |
| Floodplain permit, commercial, $1–$100,000 | $100 |
| Floodplain permit, commercial, $100,001 or more | 0.1% of total project cost |
| Work started before the floodplain permit | Floodplain fee tripled |
The floodplain ordinance adopted on 18 January 2024 gives its own examples: a $33,000 commercial project pays $100, and a $250,500 commercial project pays $250.50. Applicants also pay any engineering, surveying or contracted review the county needs.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work
The county Building Permit Ordinance creates no separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit. Inside Buckhannon, the City has its own electrical inspector, reached through City Hall (304-472-1651).
What to submit for a county building permit
- Name and address of the applicant and of the landowner, if different
- Physical address of the site or directions to it
- District, tax map and parcel number
- Description of the project and its estimated finished value
- A site plan showing the size and location of the project and existing buildings
- Contractor name and address with copies of the West Virginia contractor’s licence, certificate of insurance and proof of workers’ compensation, or a signed affidavit
- Copies of any other permits the project needs from federal, state or local agencies
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get a permit in Upshur County
Inside Buckhannon, apply to the City; elsewhere, use the county office.
If the site is in the Special Flood Hazard Area, complete the floodplain permit application too.
Collect the contractor’s licence, insurance certificate and workers’ compensation proof, or sign the affidavit.
Show the project and existing buildings on the lot.
Mail, email or bring the forms to Room 303 and pay $15, plus the floodplain fee if it applies.
Display the permit placard on site and start within six months.
Inspections and validity
The Permit Officer may inspect the site during construction to check the work matches the application, and revokes permits for non-compliance or false statements. Work must begin within six months of the building permit, or a new permit must be bought unless the officer grants a written extension. Under the floodplain ordinance, work in the flood area must be completed within six months of the floodplain permit unless extended in writing, and a certificate of compliance is needed before a building in the flood area is occupied or permanently connected to utilities.
Rather not deal with the Upshur County building department?
Get a free quote →Local details that matter in Upshur County
Airport height limits: the county has a height limitation area around the Upshur County Regional Airport; a structure, tower or object taller than federal aviation rules allow needs an FAA aeronautical study, and the Commission may refuse the permit if the study finds a hazard.
Floodplain objections: if someone files a timely objection to a floodplain permit, the Floodplain Administrator may hold a public meeting with a court reporter before deciding, announced at a County Commission meeting.
Appeals: decisions of the Permit Officer and the Floodplain Administrator can be appealed to the County Commission within 30 days.
Flood maps after July 2026: the Commission was told on August 13, 2026 that the federal and state floodplain managers would review the July flooding and prepare a new floodplain map for the area; floodplain evaluations with FEMA and the Buckhannon City Engineer followed in September.
West Virginia building code
West Virginia lets each county and city adopt the State Building Code or no building code at all; no other building code may be adopted, and floodplain, sewage and fire rules can apply either way. West Virginia rules
Official Upshur County permitting resources
Official Upshur County and City of Buckhannon pages and forms used for permits.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Upshur County Floodplain Permit Application
- WV Flood Tool flood map
- West Virginia Code §15A-11-5, State Building Code adoption
- West Virginia State Fire Marshal
- Upshur County Addressing & Mapping, Building Permits, Floodplain Management
- Upshur County Building Permit Ordinance
- Upshur County Building Permit Application
- Upshur County Contractor Licensure Affidavit
- Upshur County Floodplain Ordinance (January 2024)
- Upshur County online permit payment
- Upshur County Commission agendas and minutes
- Upshur County Commission minutes, August 6, 2026 (flood fee waiver)
- City of Buckhannon directory
Upshur County permit FAQs
Does Upshur County require a building permit?
Yes, for site preparation, construction, renovation, improvements and manufactured homes anywhere outside Buckhannon.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is an Upshur County building permit?
$15. Projects with a completed cost under $250 still need a permit, but the fee is waived.
How much is a floodplain permit?
$75 for residential work; $100 for commercial work up to $100,000, and 0.1% of the total project cost for commercial work of $100,001 or more (a $250,500 project pays $250.50).
Who issues building permits in Buckhannon?
The City of Buckhannon, at City Hall, 70 E. Main Street (304-472-1651).
Are permit fees waived after the July 2026 flood?
Yes, for those affected. On August 6, 2026 the County Commission waived building and floodplain permit fees for 180 days for homes and businesses damaged in the July 21–22 flooding; a permit is still needed.
How long do I have to start work?
Six months from the date the county building permit is issued.
Who issues septic permits?
The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department, 15 North Locust Street, Buckhannon (304-472-2810).
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More West Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Upshur County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.